God gives Life. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by God – and we need to make choices to protect the sanctity of life (mother and child) even in hard or unwanted circumstances.
In this talk, Ken Noakes looks at the wonderful, sometimes difficult, and always emotive topic of start of life matters with particular reference to decisions about medical termination (abortion).
The approach here is pastoral as the Christian response should always be one of embrace and comfort as we draw towards both mother and child in Christian faith.
We see ourselves as choosing individuals. Our strength is measured by our ability to stand on our own two feet and make decisions (we value agency). And we live in a society which views the autonomy of the individual as sacrosanct and defining, and that any challenge to that autonomy is regarded as a threat (we value choice). In addition, we live in a consumer culture, which tells us that we deserve to have whatever it is we want (we value entitlement). Yet, Christians hold to the biblical view that God makes men and women in his image. He gives life, shapes life, and takes life – and we experience that life both individually and collectively.
This ‘God & Life’ series looks at some of those key and ethical life matters where we, as choosing individuals, are now able to make decisions that will impact our life or another’s life: Abortion, Disability, Euthanasia (to pick three examples).
In this first talk, Ken Noakes sets the scene which help us think theologically about life matters over the next three talks. The purpose: to start a conversation – how can we value humanity as created by God and so in our care for ourselves and others, how do we think Christianly?
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